“Hey, Kat, you ready?” Charlotte asks from the hallway outside the open doors of my bedroom.
I stare up at her from where I sit at my vanity and suck in a deep breath before smiling. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” I reach for my emerald necklace and place it around my neck, nearly missing the concerned look Charlotte gives me.
“Do you take your necklace off often?”
I look at it in the mirror then shrug. “Every night before bed and before I shower. I don’t want to ruin it.”
Charlotte stands behind me, staring back at our reflection. “This stone isn’t what gives you powers, but it’s the best tool you have when it comes to controlling what’s inside you.” She reaches out and lifts the stone from my neck, causing it to glow a vibrant shade of green. “Your emerald is like your wand. You don’t need to wave it around, but it circulates energy the way your veins recycle blood. Its power is only useful to whom it is designated, and it works with your natural energy. The power it emits will balance you in a way that is most useful to your mind. Take your dreams, for example—the fire, the drowning. You’re still having them, yes?”
I swallow then nod.
"Wear this tonight. You’ll see that your dreams won’t come.”
“But what if my dreams are trying to tell me something? Maybe I should be learning from them. Everything else I envisioned seems to be coming true.”
Charlotte nods. “Perhaps. But if your dreams are premonitions, then those events are set in stone. Is it possible to alter the chain of events to prevent certain things from happening? Sure, but that is extremely hard to do. We don’t know what triggers one thing to lead to another. The only way you can truly prepare is by learning to harness what’s inside you.” Charlotte smiles. “Come. Let’s eat, and then we’ll get back to work, shall we?"
Rose is already in the dining room when we enter. “Pizza’s here,” she says with a lift of her hand. Two greasy pizza boxes float in midair. Their lids open just as a paper plate flies toward me like a saucer. I’m laughing as I catch it.
I love watching Rose like this—playful and freely using her magic. From what she told me before, she doesn’t use it often. “You’re using magic,” I say as I take a seat. “I thought it made you tired.”
Rose nods. “Yes, well, it depends on my mood. That’s the best way to explain it. Under true strains of stress, magic takes much more energy to release. But on pizza night”—she winks as a slice with pepperoni floats to her plate—“it’s as easy as breathing.”
I don’t know why this simple fact relaxes me greatly, but it does. I start to reach for the pizza box floating nearest to me when Charlotte cuts in.
“Wait.” She looks at Rose. “Should we show Katrina how we eat pizza?”
Rose smirks. “No need to get your hands dirty, dear.” She nods. “I think you’re ready for your first hands-on lesson.”
My eyes grow wide with excitement.
“Now, Kat, pay close attention. This is how Enchanters eat pizza.” Charlotte looks to be showing off as she places her hands behind her back and a slice of pizza rises from the box and makes its way to her mouth. After she takes a bite, it drops onto her plate, and she grins. “And that’s how it’s done.”
Rose claps her hands in glee, and I can’t help but smile too. “You try now, Katrina. Take a bite.”
I concentrate. Luckily, levitation is something I already know how to do, but controlling it has me working harder than I expected. After it hits my cheek, my forehead, and my chest, I get frustrated. “What am I doing wrong?”
“It’s a balance thing, dear.” Rose nods, signaling for me to try it again. “Imagine your mind is your hand.”
The hint Rose gives me helps tremendously. I finally get the slice to my mouth so I can take my first bite. Heaven.
“So, how does all of this work in the day-to-day? Are we supposed to chant? And what about spells? Do I have to learn any new languages?” I make a face. “Latin seems as if it would be difficult to master, but I haven’t read about anything like that in the Solstice law book.”
Rose gives a simple shake of her head. “There are no magic potions or cauldrons. We do not cast spells or speak Latin. We are descendants of gods who call upon and manipulate nature with our minds. You asked me about Wiccans before, and now I can fully answer you. Wiccans believe in many of the same things we do. We both celebrate the gods. The one main difference between Wiccans and Enchanters is that Wiccans call upon their gods to fulfill their requests, while we simply are that magic. You see, our ancestors have given us power to use at our own free will.”
“So we’re like witches.”
Rose shrugs like the term doesn’t bother her in the least. “That’s just a term, though often not the most appropriate one. We are magical beings who possess power and supernatural abilities, but over time, the term witch has come to mean something much more negative than how it originated. I prefer the terms Solstice or Enchanter.”
I’m still processing Rose’s words when we’ve finished dinner and she proclaims that we’re ready for the second lesson. She takes us out to the pool deck, where slow-moving clouds shield the night sky. We make our way around the giraffe-tiled deck to the balcony that faces our private beachfront. I look to my left and right at the proud faces of Rose and Charlotte as they smile out into the bay breeze. It’s contagious. I’m smiling now too.
Rose places her hand in mine, and I’m shocked by the touch. Rose and I don’t touch like this. Her fingers feel long and smooth, but her grip is tight. I can sense our powers connect, from the palm of my hand to my inner core. Solstice to Solstice. Energy surges through me, and I grow stronger and stronger as the seconds pass. The tingling sensation at the tips of my fingers and toes go away, but the energy in me continues to run through my nerves like an electric current. My mind and body are ignited.
As our energy unites, I’m aware of a drastic change in the sky. The dark looming clouds pick up pace and part as thunder claps, and rain starts to fall. My first instinct is to run, but Rose’s grip on my hand is locked tight.
Her smile grows into jubilant laughter as the rain soaks through our clothes, and I can’t help but wonder if she’s causing it. My hair thrashes around me in response to the wind, but I don’t care. Our energy is impenetrable. The power surging through me awakens something new in me—something that hints at unbelievable things to come.
“Take Charlotte’s hand,” Rose shouts over the wind.
I look at Charlotte. Her hand is extended toward me, but her eyes are closed, and she looks as if she’s experiencing something profound. Her chin is raised to the sky as she soaks in the night’s energy. I take her hand and face forward, eager to know what Rose will do next. I’ve never seen her so carefree, so spontaneous.
“Our earth’s elements energize us and stimulate our power,” she yells over the wind. “We have power without it, but with it, we are that much stronger and that much more in control.” Rose continues to shout, raising her voice over the vicious wind.
“Are you doing this?” I shout back, nervousness creeping into my voice. The wind is strong enough to carry us away, but I feel rooted to my spot.